Lorry strike: from waste management to hydrofoils, from aeroplanes to mozzarella and pasta producers – businesses at a standstill and at risk
The lorry drivers’ strike continues in Campania, Puglia and Calabria, affecting urban services, transport and food production
Although the government has announced an immediate allocation of 480 million euros and scheduled a second round of talks for 27 October, the lorry drivers’ industrial action continues in Campania and Puglia, whilst in Calabria, Fedralog, the regional logistics federation, suspended the strike this evening. ‘A difficult but carefully considered decision,’ reads a statement, ‘taken with a deep sense of responsibility towards the community, businesses, citizens and the protection of national security. We have decided to suspend the strike to place our trust in the government and the ministry. We are confident that the meeting on the 27th with Minister Salvini will finally yield the concrete and long-awaited solutions. In the absence of adequate responses, we will organise a convoy to Rome using all available means.”
In Sicily too, where the Sicilian Hauliers’ Committee has ordered the suspension of the strike to be lifted, the situation appears to have been resolved, but the protest continues to cause severe disruption across the entire peninsula, affecting urban services, transport and food production.
Waste collection in Foggia
Following the problems already experienced in supermarkets, with deliveries and fuel supplies, the consequences of the lorry drivers’ strike are now also affecting urban services. The lorry drivers’ industrial action is causing a serious crisis across the entire urban waste management sector in Foggia. Amiu Puglia, the public limited company responsible for waste management and environmental hygiene, has announced that the difficulties – in addition to the supply of fuel for the company’s own vehicles – also affect the transport and delivery of collected waste to the relevant treatment facilities, as the roadblocks are preventing vehicles from reaching their destinations.
In collaboration with the local council, the prefecture and the police headquarters, as stated in a public notice issued by the company, Amiu is working to source the necessary fuel and ensure the continuity of services, whilst striving to minimise disruption to the public as much as possible. In the coming hours, however, there may be some difficulties, such as delays or temporary suspensions in service provision. Should the supply difficulties persist, some vehicles may in fact be forced to reduce their operations.
Hydrofoils in Capri
The fuel shortage threatens to temporarily halt ferry services in the Gulf of Naples. Diesel stocks for ships and hydrofoils are now running low, and the ferry companies operating services to Ischia, Capri and Procida are warning the authorities and passengers of the imminent suspension of some services. Some services from Capri have already been cancelled today, whilst tomorrow morning other vessels may remain moored in port. And, unless supplies resume, the disruption is likely to spread gradually to most of the services.
